Refrigerator appliances can include a dispensing assembly for directing ice from the refrigerator's ice maker and/or liquid water to the dispensing assembly. A user can activate the dispensing assembly to direct a flow of ice or liquid water into a cup or other container positioned within the dispensing assembly. Liquid water directed to the dispensing assembly is generally chilled or at an ambient temperature. However, certain refrigerator appliances also include features for dispensing heated liquid water that can be used to make hot beverages, such as coffee or tea.
In some cases, users may desire only a single serving of a hot beverage, and some refrigerator appliances may include a dispensing assembly with features for utilizing single serve brew pods to dispense single serve beverages. For example, a conventional dispensing assembly may include a brew module having a brew chamber for receiving brew pods. Such brew pods typically contain a substance for creating a beverage, such as, e.g., coffee, tea, hot chocolate, lemonade, or the like, when water is passed through the brew pod.
Conventional brew modules include a lower needle positioned in the bottom of the brew chamber and a stationary upper needle extending from a lid which is pivotally attached to the brew module. Each needle defines holes through which liquid may flow. Closing the lid causes the upper and lower needles to pierce the top and bottom of the brew pod, respectively, such that water may flow through the brew pod to create the beverage which is dispensed to the user.
However, as the lid closes on conventional brew modules, the stationary upper needle moves on a circular path with a relatively small radius. The motion of the upper needle tears an oval hole in the top cover of the brew pod, which requires a larger sealing surface. Due to the orientation of the upper needle and the location of the water supply holes in the upper needle, contents of the brew pod may be forced into water supply holes as the needle is inserted into the brew pod.
In addition, the brew pod initially sits on top of the lower needle and is forced down onto the lower needle as the lid is pivoted to the closed position. Therefore, as the lid pivots toward the closed position, the upper needle often pierces the brew pod before the lower needle pierces the brew pod. Notably, brew pods are commonly pressurized. Therefore, when the upper needle pierces the brew pod first, contents of the brew pod may be ejected into the upper needle. In addition, due to the larger oval hole in the top of the brew pod, brew pod contents can also be ejected from the brew module.
Accordingly, a refrigerator appliance that includes improved features for dispensing single serve beverages would be useful. More specifically, single serve beverage dispensing assemblies for refrigerator appliances that improve the seal with the brew pod, reduce the risk of a clogged upper needle, and prevent the ejection of brew pod contents would be particularly beneficial.